Water treating device



Patented le-c. i3, 1932 UNITED STATES FFE ROBERT OWEN FRIEND AND .TOEN ARTHUR .MONTGMRZQ F CB'G, lall WATER remains nnvrcn Application filed June 27,

This invention relates more particularly to the construction of water softeners of the Zeolite type but will also he found Valuable in tilter tanks and other `water treating devices.

Gne of the great problems, particularly in `ceolite water soit-eners, is to prevent channeling of the zeolite bed.` The ideal condition would be a bed through which the wat-er would flow uniformly at all points. Present 0 Water softeners fall far short of this ideal since the water will follow the path of least resistance and soon form channels through the bed. The major portion'of the Water will flow through these channels thereby i5 avoiding the contact with thesoftening inineral necessary for efficient softening and regeneration.

In our prior Patents No. 1,783,466and No. 1,787.698 we have shown methods for increasing the uniformity of flow through the zeolite. We have found that even these methods, are not perfectly satisfactory. In Patent No. 1,7 83,466 we have disclosed a series of intersecting plates dividing the gravel bed into a series of cells. The plates as disclosed were not perfectly satisfactory for two reasons; first. the water would follow along the face of the plates since thisv was the most open channel,A thereby avoiding Contact with, the mineral in the center portion of each cell; second, the plates could not be secured to the dispersion plate of the tank since they would interfere with cleaning and if not secured to the bottom of the tank they would gradually. work up through the bed away from the bottom allowing cross channels to form.`

The principal object of this invention is to overcome the above noted objections to the the gravel bed into cells, A ;y

Another object of the invention is to provide a uniformity of flow from all the orifices, either in a perforated dispersion plate 'or in perforated pipe grids, by lforming these perforations with a total opening area less than the area of the feed pipe so that a back pressure will be produced which will be uniform at each orifice. Other objects and advantages residein the detail construction of the invention, which is 1931. Serial No. 547,270.

designed for' simplicity. economy, and eciency. These will become more apparent from the following description.

ln the following details l description ofthe invention reference is had to the accompanydrawing which forms a part hereof. Like numerals refer to like parts in all views of the drawing and throughout the description.

ln the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation partly in section, of a typical softening tank of the zeolite type. provided with a perforated bottom.

Fig. 2 a horizontal section therethrough taken on the line 2-, Fig. l, with the mineral and gravel hed remoyed.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary vertical section y through a softener of the type having a pipe distribution system in place of a perforated plate.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary horizontal section taken on the line P-4, Fig. 3.

The usual softening tank of the type illustrated in Figs. l and 2 comprises a tank proper, 10, having a perforated dispersion plate 12, positioned above a convex bottom 11.

During the softening process hard water is fed into' the tank 10 through a feed pipe 13. which opens through the dispersion plate l2. to a pressure chamber 14 between the plate 12 80 and the bottom 11.' As claimed in prior Patent No. 1,787,698 a first layer 15, of relatively coarse gravel, is placed upon the plate 12.

A second layer 16, of relatively fine gravel, is placed upon the layer 15 and the second layer 95 16 is preferably-covered with a third layer 17, of relatively coarse gravel. The zeolite mineral, indicated at 18, is placed upon the topuse of laterally extending plates for dividing most 1211/9? 17 0f the {IlaVel' bed- A grid of laterally-crossing partition plates 19 rests upon the plate 12. As before stated, it has been found that the water will follow up the faces of the plates 19 thereby reaching the mineral bed 18 in widely separated channels. One of the objects of this invention is to avoid this objectionable feature. This is accomplished by having the upper edges of the plates 19 below the top of the fine gravel layer 16 as shown in Fig. 1.

This 'allows a continuous layer of ne 100 gravel to lie over the entire grid of plates so that any Water flowing up the face of the plates Will be dispersed by the layer of line gravel above the plates. During the regen; erating process ivater owing downwardly through the coarse gravel 1? and the overlying layer of the line gravel 16 willbe broken into a multitude of small streams which will not reach the plate surface to form channels. Therefore. the feature of havingY the tine gravel bed or layer overlie the partition plates is one ofthe important features of this invention.

Another objection to the use of partition plates, as above stated, lies in the fact that the plates 'will move upwardly in the bed. This movement caused by the pressure in the chamber 1l acting at times to slightly` bow the dispersion plate 12 upwardly so that it in turn will force the partition plates 19 up- Wardly. llhen the dispersion plate 12 returns to its normal position after the pressure has decreased the partition plates Will not follov.7 and sand and gravel will forni between them and the plate 12. This sand and gravel acts to force the plates 19 still further upvfarll on the next bowing or vibration of l This process is continuous uny ,etes are raised ivell above the-plate rvlhen in the latter position the Water can flor-iv under the partitions 19 to find clmnnel;` of least resistance resulting in channel through the mineral bed 18. The plates 19 can not be permanently fastened to the plate 12 to avoid this since they must be removed for cleaning purposes.

lVe have found that the above dilliculty can be entirely7 eliminated by providing a rigid support for the partition. that is, preventing )owing or vibration of the plate 12. Many means could be employed to prevent this boiving or vibration. @ne of the most satisfactory means appears to be to secure the plate 12 to the bottom 11 at a pluralityof points throughout their arcas by means of suitable stay bolts 20. Sutlicient stay bolts should be employed to prevent any bowing of the plate 12 under the operating pressures used. It has been found highlv satisfactoryv to employ a number of stav bolts equal approximately to the number of intersections formed by the partition plates 19. It can be seen that with the above construction no upward movement will ever be imparted to the plates 19 and they will always lie snugly against the plate 12.

Sonie Water treating devices employ a pipe header and a series of perforated lateral pipes in place of the perforated dispersion plate 12. The principles of this invention apply equally 'Well to the latter type of construction. typical installation ofthe latter type shown in Figs. 3 and Al, in which a header pipe feeds a series of perforated lateral pipes Sil. f the pipes 22 and 23 are subject to vibration either from their jets or from outside sources, partition plates 19 placed upon them will move upwardly as in the former type.

XVe have found that this upward movement can be entirely prevented by eliminating vibration in the pipe system. This can be accomplished as shown in Fig. 3 by casting the entire pipe system into the upper sur face of a concrete block 21 poured into the bottom of the tank, thereby applying the same principle of providingr means for preventing upward vibration of the dispersion system. The. principle of forming the tine gravel bed over the top of the partition plates applies equally Well to the latter type of construction.

Channeling is often caused by unequal pressure at the orifices Within the dispersion plate 12 or in the pipe system of Fig. 4. le have found that this unequal pressure can be avoided by calculating the total areas of all perforations and maintaining this total area less than the total area of the intake pipes 13 or 22. By this construction a back pressure is built up in the pressure chamber 14 which distributes itself uniformly over the entire chamber and necessarily creates a uniform pressure at each perforation in the plate 12.

While a specific form of the improvement has been described and illustrated herein, it is desired to be understood that the same may be varied. within the scope of the appended claims, Without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what isclaimed and desired secured by Letters Patent is:

1. Means for supporting treating material in a water treating device comprising: a dispersion medium for dividing the incoming Water into a series of jets; a series of intersecting vertical plates positioned above said dispersion medium so as to divide the area of the latter into a series of cells; and a bed of gravelplaced in and over said cells, said bed of gravel having sufficient thickness to extend above the top of said plates.

2. A bed for supporting treating material in a Water treating device comprising: a dispersion medium for dividing the incoming Water into a series of jets; a series of intersectlng vertical plates positioned above said dispersion medium so as to divide the area of the latter into a series of cells; a layer of relatively coarse gravel positioned on said dispersion medium within said cells; a layer of relatively ne gravel positioned on said coarse gravel. said fine gravel layer being of suiiicient thickness to extend above the top of said. partition plates so as to form a continuous bed thereover.

3. A bed for supporting treatingr material in a Water treating device comprising: a dispersion medium for dividing the incoming Water into a serles of jets; a series of mter- K secting verticall plates positioned above said dispersion medium so as to divide the area o the latter into a series of cells; a layer of relatively coarse gravel positioned on said dispersion medium within said cells; a layer 

